Bumping into Death
by RedVoid
Summary: A chance encounter in a coffee shop leads an unlikely pair to a curious conversation. One of them hopes it will be the last time they'll meet. The other is already planning their next encounter. (one-shot) (crack-pairing: SenritsuxKuroro) (gift-fic to Bai-Feng333)


**Oh my. I did it! I really did it! A total crack-pairing fic that came solely from my imagination! *****.* **

**Bai-Feng333, as a token of appreciation for your amazing fan-arts, here is your gift-fic! A KuroroxSenritsu one-shot! :D  
**

**Unfortunatelly, there's no real romance in it because... well, they are characters that pratically don't interact with each other during the series, so it would be hard to develop any romance between them in just an one-shot. Still, there is some personal interaction between the two of them. ;)**

**I really hope you enjoy it! :D**

**Warnings: crack-pairing and possible OOC-ness.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own HunterxHuner or its characters.**

* * *

"Equal footing? You're sorely mistaken. You've made the wrong assumption. I have no value as a hostage."

From her place on the passenger's seat of the car, right in front of the Spider, Senritsu had to use every ounce of will-power she had not to visibly flinch at hearing those words. Not because they were surprising in their essence, but because the heartbeat of the dark-haired man who spoke them played a melody of the most pure honesty. He believed with all his heart that his friends wouldn't hesitate to let him die; that his life had no value whatsoever.

What kind of past did this man have to endure to treat himself with such coldness and indifference?

She didn't know and, in all honesty, didn't care to find out. The melody his heartbeat played was too cruel for her to wish to understand its origins.

"If you insist on this nonsense-!"

Senritsu was taken from her musings by yet another unholy heartbeat. Kurapika's usual calm and gentle heart was beating with a wild hate that contrasted deeply with the Spider's unashamed aloofness. It all made up for one of the most terrible symphonies the Music Hunter had ever had the displeasure of listening.

"He isn't lying. Everything he says is true. He isn't worried or frightened of death. I can hear that he has accepted it; that he walks with it every day." Senritsu paused for a second. Even just talking about it made her heart clench. "How is he capable of producing such a sound…? No more! I can't take it anymore! I don't want to listen to him! Or you, for that matter!"

To the Music Hunter's surprise, her words did manage to gain some sort of relief from the Spider's heartbeat. They made it spike in a mix of surprise and curiosity; human sensations that gave a dash of life to the requiem.

"Senritsu…"

Almost immediately after hearing Kurapika's apologetically and worried call of her name, Senritsu felt guilty for making the boy feel like that; he was dealing with too much stress without having to measure his words around her.

"He truly believes he has no value as a hostage. But the fact remains that he is the leader." Senritsu spoke at last, trying to reassure her blonde friend. "I don't know what kind of rules the Phantom Troupe lives by, but it is made of people. And people have hearts that they can't control. Their friends still might come to save him."

The Spider's requiem diverged from its cool rhythm to something that was almost close to apprehension. Maybe, despite maintaining his carefree appearance with a statuesque cool, the Head of the Spider didn't have the perfect confidence in his group of friend as he so enjoyed to parade in Kurapika's face.

For a moment, Senritsu considered telling that to Kurapika, but decided against it. The Spider would just deny her words, saying that they were nothing more than a desperate attempt of calming her even more desperate friend, all the while taunting Kurapika to lose his already thread-thin patience and kill him. Senritsu didn't want to listen to the blonde's vengeful orchestra again, especially if it would be accompanied by the Spider's dreadful requiem.

And so, she remained quiet, staring at the road ahead of her and listening as, little by little, the tense peace returned to the backseat of the car.

Suddenly, the Music Hunter felt a shiver run down her spine.

Without the blonde's amusing rage to keep him occupied, the Spider turned his thoughts to the second most interesting thing in the car: the deformed little woman who could listen to and interpret heartbeats. Was that a special Nen ability? If it was, he sure wouldn't mind stealing it for himself.

Senritsu pretended not to hear the curious rhythm of the man's heartbeats and not to feel his black eyes focus on the back of her seat. She pretended it didn't make her nervous.

At least she tried to.

* * *

Months passed, but Senritsu could never forget the requiem that was the Spider's heartbeat. She was convinced that, if there was a human-created melody capable of rivalling the Sonata of Darkness, it was that man's heartbeat. And she simply couldn't stop thinking about it. Even where she was now, in a hospital, watching over Gon, the man's heartbeat didn't leave her mind.

One would think that Gon's heartbeat as he laid in that gruesome form on a hospital bed, close to giving out his last breath ,would take the place of the Spider's heartbeat and be the closest to the Sonata of Darkness, but it was the contrary. The boy's heartbeat remained one of life and warmth; he was fighting for his life with all his had. Losing Kaito was a hard blow to the cheerful boy, but he still had Killua and his Aunt Mito, and, of course, his dream of finding his father. And so, the boy fought for his life.

As she watched over Gon, praying that he would somehow recover, Senritsu couldn't help but wonder if the Head of the Spider would fight so hard for his life or if he'd simply let go. Somehow, she thought he'd fight to keep living, not because he didn't want to die, but because he didn't want his death to handicap the Spider.

For a thief and murderer, the man was scarily selfless.

"Go grab a cup of coffee, Senritsu." Leorio's gruff voice came from somewhere by her side. "I'll stay here with Gon."

The Music Hunter gave the soon-to-be doctor a thankful smile and nodded her head. She could use some time out of the hospital; away from the sick and dying heartbeats all around her.

It all reminded her of death. And _him_.

* * *

Soon, the small Hunter found herself in a small coffee house. It was a pretty place with some comfortable armchairs and sofas spread here and there. It was pretty empty with the exception a young couple whispering sweet nothings to each other at a table on a far corner of the room. Smiling softly at the beautiful heartbeats she was hearing, Senritsu made her way to the counter and ordered a large cup of green tea. Order in hand, she walked to one of the empty sofas to enjoy her drink.

She raised her cup of tea close to her face, enjoying its fresh smell with a contented smile. Everything about this little coffee house was so calm and warm; it all reminded her of-

_Ba...bump._

_Ba...bump._

_Ba...bump._

Death.

Suddenly, the tea's smell turned acid in her nostrils and the lovely heartbeats of the couple on the other side of the room became nothing more than a low buzz in her head. The only sound she could hear was that of the man who walked hand-in-hand with Death with a smile on his face. Of the man who was entering the coffee shop at the exact moment, wearing black pants and a black long-sleeved shirt.

_Black like his eyes and hair. Black like his heartbeat. _Senritsu thought as she watched the man walk straight in her direction. _Could it be that you're always dressed for your funeral?_

"Excuse me, Miss?" The man called. "Would you mind if I sat with you?"

_Yes._

"No."

The man gave her a pleasant smile before sitting down on the couch.

"What are you doing in a place like this?"

_I came here to run away from the sound of death, but now you… you brought it to me._

"Just enjoying some tea." Senritsu answered, raising her eyes to meet his probing ones. "What are _you_ doing in a place like this?"

"Me? I saw you coming in and thought I'd drop by to say hello." He answered in a warm voice. "You know, it's nice to keep in touch with our friends."

No matter how soft his voice was or how warm were his smiles. His heartbeat didn't lie; he was hiding something.

"I'm not giving you any information on Kurapika."

"I'm not here because of the Chain User. I'm in no conditions to face him yet."

It was true; his Nen remained sealed. _Yet._

"Then why?"

The man smiled. "The Kuruta survivor is not the only person who is worth of my notice, Miss."

Senritsu's eyes widened and so did the man's smile.

"I never did introduce myself properly." He said, offering her his hand. "I'm Kuroro Lucifer."

For some seconds, the Music Hunter just stared at him in a stunned silence. Not in a million years would she ever picture this Spider, the owner of a heartbeat that was practically an onomatopoeia for death, to be so carefree and inviting, and so… warm. Death was supposed to be _chilling_.

"Ah! My name is Senristu." The woman replied, putting her hand in his.

_Even his hand is warm… How can this be?_

The man- _Kuroro_ seemed to notice her confusion. "What's wrong?"

Senritsu shook her head. "Nothing, really. It's just… I didn't expect you to be so _warm_."

"Well, my Nen may be sealed, but the blood in my veins keeps pumping as strong as ever." Kuroro said with an amused smile.

The woman's eyes glazed over as she lowered them to his chest. "And it's all thanks to your heart…"

_How can it produce such a cold melody and, at the same time, allow such warmth to flow through his body?_

Kuroro furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at the lost expression on the woman's face. Did she pick up something from his heartbeat? That couldn't be. There was _nothing_ for her to pick up; when he said he had just come to chat, he had meant it. Even if the reason to this chat was to get more information about her power and the possibility of stealing it.

Ah, of course...

"_He isn't lying. Everything he says is true. He isn't worried or frightened of death. I can hear that he has accepted it; that he walks with it every day. How is he capable of producing such a sound…? No more! I can't take it anymore! I don't want to listen to him!"_

"My heartbeat…" Kuroro began slowly, measuring the words that would come out of his mouth. "Is it so horrid?"

"No. I mean... yes. But not in the way you think." Senritsu spoke, looking for a way in which she could explain it to him without sounding offensive. "It's… sad. You believe that your life is worth nothing."

"Many people believe my life is worth less than nothing." Kuroro put in, smiling. "Your friend, the Chain User, is a fine example."

"It doesn't matter what other people think of you." Senritsu continued, turning her head from the man besides her to look down at her cup of tea that was untouched, on top of the coffee table in front of them. "The fact that _you_ see yourself as nothing and has no problem with it is what makes your heartbeat so horrid. It is… painful to hear such a sad vision of life."

Kuroro blinked, truly shocked by her response.

"Are you telling me that the sadness of your enemy hurts you?"

Senritsu smiled softly. "You're not my enemy."

"Indeed, I'm not." The Spider agreed. "Then why did you help the Chain User in his vendetta? I know for a fact that you two barely knew each other during the time everything happened in York Shin City so don't use the _he's my friend _card on me. I may not be able to read heartbeats, but I do know when people are lying to me."

"Kurapika is my friend. A very precious friend." Senritsu commented. "And that _was_ the reason I stood by his side on that day. But it was not to help him obtain his revenge. Revenge is a cruel path that darkens a person's heart. I didn't want him to follow such a path; I wanted to give him the support to choose justice over it. I guess… I just wanted him overcome that challenge alive and well. I didn't want him to do something he'd regret."

For seeming endless moments, Kuroro remained in silence, absorbing the words that the woman beside him had just said. Finally, with a satisfied nod, the Spider made yet another question; a question he had been wanting to ask since the moment he understood her uncanny hearing ability.

"How can you listen to a person's heartbeat?"

A sad smile stretched on the small woman's lips and, at that moment, Kuroro felt as close to her as he felt to all of his Spiders. That smile was her way of admitting that she committed a grave sin; that she was no better than anyone in the world. That smile made her seem every bit the human that her appearance didn't allow her to appear.

"You're a world-renowned thief, Lucifer-san-"

"Please, just Kuroro is fine."

The Music Hunter hesitated for a while, before nodding her head. "… Very well. You're a world-renowned thief, Kuroro. As such, maybe you've heard about the Sonata of Darkness?"

The Spider stopped to think about her words. Indeed, the term rang some bells in the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite place where he had heard the words. Finally, the Spider shook his head, giving Senritsu the incentive she needed to continue her explanation.

"It is said that the Sonata of Darkness is a melody composed by Satan. There are four solos to four different instruments – the piano, the harp, the flute and the violin. Me and a friend of mine got our hands on the flute solo and he played it to me." Senritsu spoke in a soft and resigned voice. "He died and I ended up cursed. My body is now like this and my hearing is sensitive enough to listen to heartbeats from people who are meters away."

"Do you honestly think this is a curse?" Kuroro asked. "People would kill to have a hearing like yours. To be able to know what everyone around you is feeling… that's a gift, not a curse."

Kuroro watched the woman besides him shake her head lightly with a soft smile on her face, as if she was listening to a child's output in global politics. Somehow, in her, that look was so gentle that it made him believe that, despite seeing many flaws in his statement, she didn't think him stupid for saying what he said. He felt as if she appreciated hearing his opinion, no matter how wrong she thought it was.

"On the beginning I thought so too…" Senritsu began, staring at the couple in front of her with glazed eyes. "How wonderful to be able to know what people around me were thinking. I could read the intentions of all of my friends, co-workers and contractors. I knew what they were feeling before they understood their emotions themselves. I'd never be cheated again. My only problem, I believed, would be to find earplugs good enough for me to sleep."

The woman sighed.

"But people aren't good, Kuroro. We're always going after what we want; most of the time not giving a second thought at how we might hurt someone to get it. Sometimes, what we want _is_ to hurt someone." Senritsu spoke sadly. "And even when we hold ourselves back and walk in line, following the rules our society, our hearts don't. Hearts show the world everything you feel: all the hate, anger, jealously, sadness and despair…"

Senristu closed her eyes for a second as she let out an exhausted sigh. But Kuroro continued to watch her intently; a curious smile on his lips and his eyes wide and expectant. He knew she wasn't finished – he _hoped _she wasn't finished.

Finally, she opened her eyes. Her sad and tired eyes.

"…It gets tiring. Listening to all of that every day. The happy tunes are never enough to make me forget the pain around me. I might've been living an illusion before, when I believed that people were good in their nature, but I was happier. What's the point in living in a reality that reminds you at every moment that, somewhere close to you, there'll always be someone in pain, or desiring to inflict pain? I miss that blissful ignorance that made the whole world a beautiful place."

Then, the Hunter turned her gaze in his direction, giving him a soft smile.

"So yes. I honestly think that what I have is nothing more than a curse."

The Spider's next question was there in a heartbeat.

"And what do you intend to do about this curse?"

"I intend to destroy the Sonata. No one else in this world deserves to suffer from the same fate as I do."

After that, both spent some moments in complete silence, immerse in their own thoughts about the other.

Senritsu was still trying to decipher the enigma that was the man beside her. His questions, combined with his now curious and eager heartbeat, reminded her of an innocent child; amazed by every little thing they learned. On the other hand, the cold undertone of his heartbeat was never completely lifted and it reminded her of a dying man; ready to take whatever he could before taking his last breath. These two images were almost contradictory in their essence, but together they drew a perfect picture of the Spider sitting by her side.

Kuroro understood the woman's point of view all too well. He hadn't always been the man he is today; someone who walks with Death hand-in-hand, accepting it as an ever present and immutable part of his reality. He was once a boy roaming the streets of Meteor City with a child-like admiration of the world around him and a fire inside him that burned bright and strong. However, his reality wasn't meant for boys. His reality was one of pain and death; of the survival of the fittest; of kill or be killed. His reality turned him and the man he was today and, while he had no regrets whatsoever of the things he did in the past, a part of him still remembered what it was like to see that _something_ in everything and everyone around him. That something that made being alive be worth it.

_Something_ just like the gentle and caring woman sitting beside him, who was dedicating her life to keep strangers from suffering as she does.

"You know, maybe you should pay more attention to your own heartbeat." The Spider said, smiling to the small woman. "It may just make it all worth it."

Senritsu's eyes widened but before she could ask what he meant, Kuroro had raised himself from the couch, ready to leave the coffee house. Before he took a step away from the Music Hunter, he turned his head to look at her from over his shoulder.

"I had a great time, Senritsu. Hopefully, next time we meet, my heartbeat will be something you look forward to hearing. Even if not for the right reasons."

Without another word, he walked away. Senritsu watched as the man reached one of the place's waitress, scribbled something down on a piece of paper to give it to her and left the shop, leaving a very confused Senritsu staring after him. She remained still until she could no longer listen to Kuroro's heartbeat.

With a shake of her head, the Music Hunter chased away any lingering thoughts of the man and made to stand up from the couch; her tea was already too cold for her to enjoy it. But, before she could take one step away, the waitress ran over to her with a fresh cup of green tea and a walnut cookie.

"Compliments of the gentleman who just left." The waiter spoke with a smile, settling the beverage and the treat on the coffee table table in front of the Music Hunter.

Senritsu blinked. "Ah… Thank you."

Aftes some seconds, the Music Hunter raised the cup from the table, only then noticing a small napkin with something written on it beneath the cup.

Quickly, the Music Hunter raised the paper to her eyes.

_A fresh treat from a rotten man._

She turned the piece of paper.

_To make it up for the inconvenience. And to thank you for adding a new item to my shopping cart._

Senritsu blinked. _Adding a new item…?_

The Music Hunter heaved a sigh.

It seemed her business with the Spider were about to get deeper than her being friends with their hated Chain User. She just prayed that she found the three remaining solos before their beloved Head did; she didn't fancy having to deal with the dangerous Spiders. Again.

Still, she didn't think it was something she'd be able to avoid.

* * *

Out of the coffee shop, Kuroro raised his gaze to the sky. There was a smile on his lips and a pleasant excitement in his usual controlled heartbeat. Hisoka would soon bring a Nen exorcist to him and then…

_The Sonata of Darkness, huh? What an interesting addition it'll be to my collection. Before I sell it, of course. Or maybe-_

Kuroro's smile widened.

_-before someone comes to take it from me._

* * *

**Phew! ****It was hard, but it's done. ****I just hope it's up to your expectations, Bai-Feng333. ;)**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


End file.
